Chinese technology company Xpeng has begun mass production of its humanoid robot, IRON, claiming it is the first of its kind to walk itself off the production line. The company anticipates IRON will one day assist with household chores and sees a future where humanoid robots become as commonplace as smartphones.
Representatives from Xpeng revealed the robot entered mass production through the company’s existing facilities, though the total production volume remains undisclosed. IRON stands approximately 5 feet 7 inches (173 centimeters) tall and weighs 143 pounds (65 kilograms), and is covered in a fabric skin. The prototype boasts 82 degrees of freedom (DoF) throughout its body, including 22 DoF in each hand, allowing it to move at speeds up to 6.5 feet per second (2 meters per second).
Xpeng representatives stated that IRON can receive instructions, plan strategies, navigate environments, and avoid obstacles without needing trial and error. The robot also features a self-charging capability, autonomously seeking out and connecting to designated charging stations when its battery is low. The company brands IRON as the world’s first “high-level, general-purpose” humanoid robot, powered by a single “world model” AI.
While other companies are also entering the humanoid robot market, such as Figure AI with its Figure 03 and AGIBOT which reached 15,000 units in June, Xpeng representatives highlighted that Tesla’s Optimus robot remains in factory assembly with its release delayed four times since 2022.
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